The present invention relates to decorative and/or display devices. More specifically, the present invention relates to decorative and/or display devices that are expandable.
People display decorative devices for a wide variety of reasons. For example, during the holidays people display various items relevant to that holiday. For instance, during the Christmas season these people might display a Santa Claus or a snowman. Around Halloween, they might display a pumpkin, a witch or any number of other seasonal items. Often, people desire to reuse these decorative items on a yearly basis. Such reuse presents the additional consideration of storing the decorative item during the remainder of the year. Thus, the larger and more elaborate the display, the more storage space that is required when not in use.
In one embodiment, the present invention comprises an expandable and collapsible decoration or decorative object comprising a frame, a flexible body carried by the frame, and an internal lighting assembly. In one embodiment, the lighting assembly is carried by a telescoping, rod-like portion of the frame and, in another embodiment, the lighting assembly is carried by a base member of the frame. In one embodiment, the frame comprises movable members which may be reconfigured, and the body comprises a thin, flexible skin or cover, all or portions of which may be transparent, semi-transparent or opaque. In some embodiments, the present invention may include a frame comprising a number of generally or at least partially flexible rods for helping to support the body. In some embodiments, the rods may be shaped, tapered or otherwise conditioned, e.g., near the ends thereof, to facilitate bending or positioning them for optimizing a selected expanded or collapsed shape of the invention.
In some embodiments of the present invention, including those in which a light source is supported or carried by the base member, the frame includes a top member and an adjacent guide/support disk with a central opening. The central opening is sized to generally closely receive a bead and a elongated guide pin member both operably carried by a generally central flexible member used to shape the object, and to optionally hang it for display. The bead serves to lock the object in an expanded position, and the guide pin helps prevent the flexible member and/or bead from fouling or tangling as the object is changed from its expanded to its collapsed state. In some embodiments, the bead and guide pin may be integrated to provide further prevention of fouling.
The decorative device weighs very little and can be collapsed for convenient transportation and/or storage.
In some embodiments, the configuration of the decorative object or device of the present invention, particularly of the body when the object is expanded, may be varied, e.g., it may appear to be a pumpkin, a holiday ornament, an imaginary or whimsical creature, a geometric figure, or virtually any selected representation or object. Luminous or xe2x80x9cglow-in-darkxe2x80x9d features may be provided, and the various embodiments may include graphics or colors as desired. In some embodiments, the base member of the frame is annular and includes a bottom member and a top member for capturing and/or supporting a potion of the rods. The central opening may be adapted to received generally interchangeable base plate members, one of which may be adapted to support or carry a light source carrying battery compartment, and one of which may be adapted to receive a Christmas-type bulb. Any bulb and socket type may be used, for example, screw-in, snap-in, press fit or bayonet types may be used.
Any references to front and back, right and left, top and bottom, upper and lower, and horizontal and vertical are intended for convenience of description, not to limit the present invention or its components to any one positional or spatial orientation.
While multiple embodiments are disclosed, still other embodiments of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description, wherein is shown and described only the embodiments of the invention, by way of illustration, of the best modes contemplated for carrying out the invention. As will be realized, the invention is capable of modifications in various obvious aspects, all without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Accordingly, the drawings and detailed description are to be regarded as illustrative in nature and not restrictive.